Here we go! Sorry it's taken so long to get this list together, but life is busy busy busy! I will have the whole thing out by the end of the year -- promise!
30) Fever Dream
(Uncanny X-Men # 251)
Summary:
Wolverine is strung up on an X shaped cross in the middle
of the Australian town he and the X-Men used as their HQ. Tortured by the Reavers and spied on by
Jubilee, he hallucinates about his fellow X-Men, as well as important women in
his life, and Sabretooth. Gateway
provides him with a vision of what happened to the X-Men – they chose to enter
the Siege Perilous to start new lives. He’s left baking for at least two days,
but when a tremendous thunderstorm rolls in, he rips himself down and escapes
with Jubilee.
Why It’s # 30:
I think in terms of darkest moments for the X-Men, this
one might be the one that takes the cake. Consider that most of the X-Men team
proper is either missing (Rogue and Longshot) or dead (Storm). And then take into consideration that
X-Factor was playing with the Celestial during the Judgement War, the New
Mutants were in Asgard, and Excalibur was doing their Cross-time Caper. There were no Mutant teams left on the
Earth. And then we have Wolverine
crucified and hallucinating, having to only to depend on his will and a plucky
13 year old to survive. It’s dark, it’s
grim, it’s hard to read . . . and it’s incredibly well done.
Bottom Line:
The scene is grave and off-putting . . . but somehow,
Wolverine wills himself out of it. A
great moment.
29) Messiah Complex
(Messiah Complex one-shot, Uncanny X-Men # 492, X-Factor
# 25, New X-Men # 44, X-Men # 205, Uncanny X-Men 493, X-Factor # 26, New X-Men
# 45, X-Men # 206, Uncanny X-Men # 494, X-Men # 27, New X-Men # 26, Uncanny
X-Men # 207)
Summary:
After a long time, the first Mutant baby is born. Immediately hunted by both the Purifiers and
the combined Acolytes and Marauders, the baby turns out to be in the hands of
Cable, who is just trying to get her to safety.
The X-Men and X-Factor end up a step behind everyone else, first
discovering that the Purifiers don’t have the baby and then struggling to track
down both Sinister and the baby. Cable
goes to Forge, looking for a time machine, but Bishop intercepts him, prepared
to kill the baby. As it turns out, the
baby is destined to either save Mutantkind . . . or damn them. Bishop believes it’s the ladder. His doubts get him knocked out and the baby
is taken by Sinister and crew. The
X-Men, a newly-created X-Force, and X-Factor converge on Muir Island and after
a lengthy battle with Bishop, a Predator X, and Marauders/Acoyltes, Cable is
able to travel into the future to raise the child . . . but Professor X is
killed.
Why It’s # 29:
This is a great story that’s been building for a
while. The anticipation of a new Mutant
being born combined with the excitement of the chase that follows is such an
excellent payoff to everything that came before this. Lots of characters get their moments in, with
the threats feeling substantial and looming.
The art works great together and the story flows seamlessly from issue
to issue. Every character has great
motivation – except Bishop, who feels almost like an afterthought.
Bottom Line:
The kick off a new, exciting chapter in the X-Men’s saga,
starting with an explosive arrival and ending with gunshot. Evocative, exciting, and kick-ass.
28) Imperial
(New X-Men # 120 – 126)
Summary:
Cassandra Nova, Professor X’s twin sister, has taken
control of his body and the Shi’ar fleet.
She leads the Imperial Guard to Earth to wipe out all Mutantkind,
starting with the X-Men. With Charles
trapped in her dying body, the X-Men scramble to muster a defense. They fight the Imperial Guard and are able to
turn them against Cassandra Nova. The
X-Men and the students have also been infected by Nano-Sentinels, which are
slowly killing them. Things turn around
when Cyclops and Xorn return. The X-Men
rally and defeat Cassandra, thanks to quick thinking by Jean, Emma, and the
Professor.
Why It’s # 28:
This story hits all cylinders. Plenty of big ideas and concepts, lots of
amazing action, and manages to take the X-Men through hell . . . and have them
come out all the better on the other side.
Each member of the cast plays a great role. The art suffers, due to Igor Kordeys last
minute fill-in, but Ethan VanSciver and Frank Quietly knock their contributions
out of the park.
Bottom Line:
Morrison and company take the X-Men on wild ride with
high stakes, but manage to pull off a huge win that is both satisfying and
positive. It’s a rare, clean victory
for the X-Men.
27) Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix
(Cable # 6-8, Uncanny X-Men # 308 – 310, X-Men # 30,
Excalibur # 75, Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix # 1-4)
Summary:
During a final battle with Stryfe, the true origin of
Cable and Stryfe is revealed – that Cable is in fact the son of Scott and
Madelyne and Stryfe is his Apocalypse-raised clone. After this, during a Thanksgiving gathering
at the mansion, Scott and Jean decide to get married. In the weeks leading up to the wedding,
Professor X confronts his own mistakes in love and Scott has an adventure with
Cable. The two then marry. Afterwards, their daughter from a possible
future, Rachel, swaps places with the time-lost Captain Brittain. She arrives in the future and leads a
rebellion against Apocalypse. After
bringing Nathan into the future and cloning him, she brings the minds of her
parents into the future to raise him.
They go back, but Nathan grows up to be Cable.
Why It’s # 27:
To steal a phrase, it’s a little “timey-wimey,” but it
wouldn’t be a Cyclops and Phoenix story without that. I shipped these two hard-core back in the day
and I was so tickled to see them to get married. The wedding itself is so simple and
straight-forward, with a great narration by Professor X. There’s nothing very weird or out of the
ordinary that happens. It’s not
over-dramatic or strange. Everything
before and after that is, but that’s part and parcel. The time spent in the future is fun and fantastic
with a strong ending. This is a saga
that’s overlooked and I wish Marvel would group these issues together. They all fit together nicely.
Bottom Line:
The marriage of two of the X-Men’s mainstays is centered
in adventures in time and space. It’s a
classic 90s story that needs more attention.
26) Mutatis Mutandis
(Wolverine and the X-Men # 1-8)
Summary:
Another cheat, I know.
Welcome to the Jean Grey School,
run by Headmaster Wolverine, featuring teachers Rachel Grey, Kitty Pryde,
Beast, Husk, and Iceman. Immediately
upon opening the doors to the school, they’re attacked by the Hellfire Club and
a Krakoa (which they adapt); Kitty gets pregnant with a sack of Brood (eww);
Logan and Quire head to space to get some money and Logan gets his legs broken;
and Beast fights Sabretooth on the Peak.
Oh, and there are Bamfs running around causing trouble!
Why It’s # 26:
This is the comic that brought me back to X-Men. Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw, and Chris
Bachelo give us an X-Men book that doesn’t run from the X-Men’s quirks and
details – it embraces it! The book is
compelling, with great characterization, fun stories, dangerous villains, and
all with a sense of whimsy and nostalgia.
The students are all very well-defined, the teachers are shown as solid
veterans, and the villains are, well, very evil.
Bottom Line:
Fun storytelling with solid characterization, fantastic
art, and an overall sense of adventure.
Jason Aaron reinvigorated the X-Men franchise with this run.
25) Gifted
(Astonishing X-Men # 1 - 6)
Summary:
Cyclops revisions the X-Men back into super-heroes . . .
just as the world is faced with a Mutant cure called Hope. After encountering an alien named Ord and
discovering that the cure’s creator has been using a Mutant as the basis for
her research, the X-Men bust into the lab and find a revived Colossus. It turns that Ord and Doctor Rao are working
together and the cure was created using technology from Ord’s homeworld. We also meet Agent Brand of SWORD and learn
that Colossus is destined to destroy Ord’s homeworld in the next three years.
Why It’s # 25:
What makes this work so well is the combination of
nostalgia and characterization. Ord and
Rao aren’t the best baddies in the world, but it’s not really what the book is
about. It’s about Kitty’s return to the
fold, the return of Colossus, and the return of the X-Men as super-heroes. There’s great, sharp dialogue. Each character has their own motivation, but
all of them, together, unite as the premiere X-Men team. It’s what makes the X-Men special, even after
all these years.
Bottom Line:
Wit and characterization make this one special. John Cassady helps a lot too.
24) Age of X
(Age of X: Alpha, X-Men: Legacy # 245, New Mutants # 22,
X-Men: Legacy # 246, New Mutants # 23, X-Men: Legacy # 247, New Mutants # 24)
Summary:
A new reality suddenly comes into place – a world where
Mutants have taken refuge in a huge tower in San Francisco. Lead by General Magneto, the Mutants have
become jaded and isolated. Their
fortress is under constant threat. No
one on the inside really trusts each other.
But slowly, a mystery locked in the heart of the fortress begins to leak
out: something is not right with the world.
Magneto dispatches Rogue and Gambit to unlock the truth. Cyclops and Wolverine begin to decide which
side to take. Eventually, all is
revealed: this reality was created by Legion – well, one of his personalities,
really, in order to protect him. There’s
an epic battle between the creature that created this world and Professor X; at
the same time, the humans launch another assault. Eventually, Legion reabsorbs the creature and
puts things right.
Why It’s # 24:
In a lot of ways, this could have been awful. But Mike Carey knocks it right outta the
park. Everything that he’s been doing in
his run very much leads into this – from his development with Rogue to his
redeeming of Professor X. I also liked this because it’s just so different:
it’s not the X-Men being hunted Sentinels and/or Apocalypse. There are no X-Men, it’s just a bunch of
Mutants stuck together, defending a sanctuary day-in and day-out. There’s a sort of prison riot feel to
it. And the “what’s wrong with the
world” aspect feels like a good and true mystery. It’s all compelling, intriguing, and
engaging.
Bottom Line:
In a world where there’s no X-Men, Mutants are left to
fend for themselves. While they fight
every day for survival, a mystery about their own world unfolds. It’s a great concept executed perfectly.
23) X-Men Prime
(X-Men: Prime one-shot, Uncanny X-Men # 322, X-Men #
42-44, X-Force # 44, Wolverine # 93, Uncanny X-Men # 323 – 325, X-Men # 45)
Summary:
After the end of the Age of Apocalypse, the world has
been restored, but not everything is back to normal. The Sugar Man, Dark Beast, Holocaust, and
X-Man have made it to Earth. Bishop
retains memories of the dark and twisted reality. Gambit’s in a coma. Rogue and Iceman have hit the road. And then things get even worse: the Legacy
Virus goes public and a beaten Mutant is found at the X-Men’s doorstep,
shattering Xavier’s already tenuous faith in his dream. Shortly thereafter, the Juggernaut lands in
Hoboken, having been beaten by Onslaught.
Scott and Jean are then taken to Avalon, where Holocaust is slaughtering
the Acolytes. They survive the fall of
Avalon, though Magneto and Colossus are separated. Cyclops helps the Acolytes survive the
Australian outback. Juggernaut wakes up
from his coma and Wolverine pushes recently-promoted Cannonball into fighting
him at a local bar. Colossus and
Callisto then arrive and persuade the X-Men into helping track down the Morlock
splinter group, Gene Nation. They find
them and Storm fights their leader, Marrow, and kills her. After this, Gambit confronts Rogue about his
mysterious past.
Why It’s # 23:
In a lot of ways, this is the spiritual sequel to “From
the Ashes.” You’ve got several character
pieces alongside more immediate and terrestrial threats. There are character moments, like Wolverine
challenging Cannonball, Cyclops saving the Acolytes, Rogue and Gambit’s meeting
in Seattle, and Storm in the aftermath of the Marrow’s death. There are hints about the future with
Onslaught nods. There’s epic battles,
like between Exodus and Holocaust. It’s
a big ol’ pile of X-Men goodness.
Bottom Line:
Smaller but more visceral threats plus great character moments
make for an excellent read.
22) I, Magneto
(Uncanny X-Men # 150)
Summary:
Magneto issues an ultimatum to the world: cede him world
control in one week or he will start wiping cities out. Russia responds with nukes, which Magneto
disables, crushes the sub, and then opens a volcano underneath a city. Cyclops and Captain Lee Foster are his
guests/captives. Soon enough, the X-Men
are shot down and make it to Magneto’s island fortress; they make it to shore,
but an energy field dampens their powers.
Cyclops and the X-Men split up to disarm Magneto’s volcano machine and
to deactivate the field. Unfortunately,
an attempt at Magneto’s life by Storm wakens him and he assaults the X-Men (and
Professor X, who was nearby). Storm, who
survived her own brush with death at Magneto’s hands, blows up the energy field
and the X-Men lay on the firepower.
Cyclops has Kitty disrupt Magneto’s computers; Magneto goes nuts and
attacks her. When she fights back, it
nearly kills her. This shocks Magneto
into realizing that he nearly killed a child and he hands Kitty over to Storm
and then leaves.
Why It’s # 22:
For Magneto, this is a big one. It’s one of his biggest assaults (after Cape
Citadel, trying to take over that third world country, and his attack on the
United Nations) (also, I should point that it feels a little hollow; everyone
does this in the Marvel Universe at least once a week) and it helps move him into an even more
recognizable position. It also shows
just how ruthless and villainous he can be.
What that, though, is created a short journey into becoming sympathetic
and vulnerable and then somewhat passive and clearly disturbed by his own
actions by the end. It’s an interesting
turning point for Magneto and one that sets the tone for all future
appearances. For the X-Men, it’s
enjoyable to see them run around without their powers, having to depend solely
on their normal, regular capabilities.
It’s neat to see them run around, having to rely on their wits and
natural talents.
Bottom Line:
A major turning point in Magneto’s overall narrative plus
the X-Men having to rely on their natural talents makes for an enjoyable
X-tale.
21) E is for Extinction
(New X-Men # 114 – 117)
Summary:
Cassandra Nova gains control of Mega Sentinels. Cyclops and Wolverine arrive in South America
to stop her, but it’s too late: she sends them Genosha. The Mutant island is wiped out, the
population annihilated except for Emma Frost, who now has diamond skin. Magneto is reportedly dead. The X-Men regroup at the school, where
Cassandra Nova frees herself and goes to the newly refurbished Cerebra. She goes to use it, but is shot dead by
Professor X. Shortly after this, Professor X reveals to the world that he’s a
Mutant.
Why It’s # 21:
It’s the dawning of a new era for the X-Men. A new team, a new member in Emma Frost, a new
look for Beast, and a new direction.
Gone are the costumes, back are the uniforms. There’s a new threat from Cassandra
Nova. Magneto’s dead, Genosha’s gone,
and everyone knows Professor X is a Mutant.
Welcome to the future. There’s
such energy and excitement with this storyline.
It’s fun, it’s witty, and it’s innovative.
Bottom line:
It’s a new era for the X-Men and it’s great.
No comments:
Post a Comment